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Dale Horvath
| aliases = | continuity = The Walking Dead | image = | type = | gender = | base of operations = Atlanta, Georgia | known relatives = Erma Horvath (wife, deceased) In the TV series, Dale's wife was named Mary.'' | born = | died = 2012 TV series. | 1st appearance = ''The Walking Dead'' #3 | actor = Jeffrey DeMunn }} Dale Horvath is a supporting character featured in The Walking Dead comic book and television franchise. He was created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore and was introduced in ''The Walking Dead'' #3. The character was re-imagined for the 2010 AMC television series The Walking Dead where he was played by actor Jeffrey DeMunn. He was introduced in the series pilot episode, "Days Gone Bye" and appeared in all six episodes of season one. Overview Dale Horvath is the elderly and soft-spoken member of the survivor group led by Rick Grimes. He owns a recreational vehicle, which has served as a valuable shelter from walkers during the zombie outbreak that affected the Southern United States. Dale formed a close bond with another survivor, Andrea, but their relationship suffered some tension after Dale prevented Andrea from taking her own life. Dale got along with all of the other members of the group except for one, Shane Walsh. Dale immediately ferreted out the truth behind the type of man that Shane was and knew him to be an aggressive, selfish and dangerous individual. He also correctly suspected that Shane was responsible for shooting a man named Otis and leaving him for dead. Dale and Shane were at odds on many issues, but Dale found himself standing apart from the group when it came time to decide the fate of a living prisoner named Randall. While the others heavily considered executing the boy to keep the group safe, Dale wanted no part of it. Leaving the farmhouse they had been temporarily staying at, Dale was attacked by a walker who eviscerated him. The group tried to save him, but they were too late. Daryl Dixon gave Dale a merciful death by shooting him in the head. Biography Comic version Dale Horvath was an elderly man and one of a group of several individuals who survived the initial outbreak of a zombie plague that affected most of the United States. Dale owned an RV and was passing through Atlanta, Georgia when the outbreak occurred. Dale found several other survivors and offered them refuge inside his RV. They set up a temporary base camp outside the city. Armed with only a rifle, Dale kept vigil on top of the RV, keeping an alert eye to make sure that no zombies breached the camp. One zombie who came to close to the camp attempted to attack a woman named Donna. Dale arrived just in time and decapitated the creature with his axe. (Walking Dead Vol 1 4) TV version Dale Horvath was a middle-aged man who was married to a woman named Mary. Mary contracted cancer and Dale was forced to watch her waste away from the disease until she died. Her death devastated Dale and shook his faith in humanity. Embittered, he sold off his home and purchased an RV and set out driving across the Southern United States. Just when he thought life couldn't get any crappier, a zombie apocalypse struck. Dale recounted the story of his wife's passing to Andrea following the death of her sister, Amy. While traveling through Georgia, Dale picked up two women, Andrea, and her younger sister Amy. For the first time in a long while, Dale found something that he cared about. He offered the two women refuge in his motorhome and they made their way towards Atlanta. Dale met up with an Hispanic family as well as several others struggling to escape the zombie outbreak, including the Pelletier family as well as Lori Grimes, her son Carl and lover Shane Walsh. Before long, Lori's husband Rick, believed to be dead, managed to track them down. Dale and the others set up a camp some miles outside of Atlanta. Armed with only a rifle, Dale kept vigil on top of the RV, keeping an alert eye to make sure that no zombies breached the camp. Notes & Trivia See also External Links * * * * References ---- Category:2012 character deaths Category:Comic book characters Category:Characters who are killed by zombies